


Happiness Is Guaranteed

by fencecollapsed



Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: Bad Ending, Canon Compliant, F/M, Infected Paul, Kissing, Like immediately after, One Shot, Post-Canon, Vomit, how Emma gets infected, those are very weird tags to put one right after the other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-10 10:29:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19904251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fencecollapsed/pseuds/fencecollapsed
Summary: Back in the Clivesdale hospital, Emma and Paul have a little talk.





	Happiness Is Guaranteed

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in like. an hour but I like it so!

The infected drag Emma back through the hospital. She thrashes and fights, kicks and screams, but it's no use. They outnumber her, and inside she knows she's lost anyway.

The vast, cool hallway seems to spin around her and suddenly she's in a back room. She's passed from Ted and Bill into Paul's arms and the ensemble disperses, leaving them alone. Emma keeps on screaming and sobbing, and Paul simply holds her. He rubs her back soothingly, he strokes her hair, he lets her cling to him and cry herself out. All the while he doesn't speak a word or sing a note, and Emma is almost convinced he was faking, that it really is him and he's come to save her.

When Emma is all out of tears to cry, Paul's hand reaches her chin and lifts her head so she's looking at him. His smile is gentle and loving but far too wide, leaving creases at the corners of his electric blue eyes. Slime of a matching hue drips down his chin and Emma knows she is truly done for.

"Just do it already," She demands, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "Quit taunting me and get it over with."

"Why are you afraid, Emma? It's only me." Paul's glowing eyes fall half-lidded as he caresses Emma's face.

"You are  _ not _ Paul," Emma spits with a harsh glare.

"Oh, but I am! I'm the same man I've always been. All I want is for us to survive together, and I've found a way to achieve that! Then we can be happy, doesn't that sound nice? Isn't that what you want?"

"Not like this."

Paul brushes a loose lock of hair behind Emma's ear, tilting his head just a bit. "This is the only way."

"Whatever. Just do it."

"Emma, I don't want you to be afraid."

"Yeah? What fucking reason do I have  _ not  _ to be afraid?" Emma yells. "I've lost everyone I ever cared about and just when I'm tricked into thinking just  _ maybe  _ I'll be okay, just maybe the  _ last  _ person on this stupid fucking planet I trust might have gotten out, the rug's ripped right out from under me! And there's  _ nothing _ under the rug, no floor to hit, just a bottomless pit of  _ death. _ So maybe I'm scared, so what? The world's ending, I think I'm justified!"

Paul takes both of Emma's hands. They hold to each other like lifelines. The glow in his eyes seems duller, he studies her with genuine understanding.

"Do you want to be happy, Emma?" He asks.

"Well, yeah, who doesn't-?"

"Do you want to survive?"

"...I guess."

"Do you want to stay with me?"

"I…" 

Emma stops. She looks down, around at the empty hospital room. It's quiet but for the soft whirring of the machines. No music, not here. She looks back at Paul, who hasn't taken his eyes off her. Despite the glow and the slime staining his mouth, his expression is very human. Gentle and sincere. Patient.  _ Paul.  _

She's sure it's exhaustion and weakened resolve simply showing her what she wants to see, but something in Paul still cares about her. Something in Paul is still himself, and if there's even a chance of that, Emma can't bear to leave him behind. Not after all she's lost.

"You're all I have left," She admits.

"I won't do anything until you give me permission." Paul says.

Emma looks down again, worrying at her lip. "Does it hurt?"

"Not this way. I promise, I would never hurt you, Emma."

"Then…" Emma's hand brushes up his chest until it comes to grip his tie, pulling him down so they're nose-to-nose. "What d'you say we try that kiss again?"

Paul smiles. The glow in his eyes is back and blinding, but they fall shut before Emma has a chance to be intimidated. He inches slowly closer until their lips finally meet.

Emma feels herself gasp - she's kissing a dead man. She's kissing the marionette husk of the man she lost the chance to be with. A  _ lie _ ; a handsome, comforting lie operating with the sole purpose of stopping her from resisting. Emma thought if she hadn't already given up she'd be more appalled at herself. But now she can only allow herself a single, tiny gasp before she melts into the kiss.

Because she lost the chance last time.

Surprisingly, Paul is very gentle with her. His kisses are tender with no sense of urgency or aggression - exactly how Emma would have expected the real Paul to kiss her. 

She lets herself believe it, that It's really him and they both made it. That this is a celebration, not a final comforting lie. Hell, she might as well let herself  _ believe _ in happiness that isn't fabricated before that's all she knows. She wraps her arms around his neck. He holds her close with one hand on her hip and the other caressing her cheek.

Then his whole body tenses. He jerks, summoning that blue shit from the pit of his stomach.

_ This is it, _ Emma thinks.

She's torn between the impulse to run away and the peace of letting go in Paul's arms. So in spite of her pounding heart, Emma goes limp in his hold. She lets him puke in her mouth.

The sensation is indescribable. Though Paul was right, it isn't remotely painful, it isn't necessarily pleasant, either. Emma feels nothing and everything as the infected slime runs down her chin and spreads through her body. She is light, almost weightless. A melody fades softly into her ears. It's lovely.

As the infection reaches her leg she feels the pain lift away. Her heartbeat begins to slow.

She kisses Paul. She kisses Paul as the music begins to build in her ears, as the infection sweeps her mind and she can no longer feel his lips, or anything but. With one last breath Emma succumbs willingly to the song. Her eyes aglow meet Paul's when they open.

They stare lovingly at each other, and in soft, perfect harmony, they sing.

_ "It's inevitable, inevitable…" _

**Author's Note:**

> This counts as a happy ending right? RIGHT???


End file.
